Flood situation in Assam grim, over 2 lakh people affected

Guwahati, Aug 20: The flood situation in 'Assam turned grim on Wednesday following incessant rains here in the past few days which have affected nearly two lakh people in over 280 villages in the state.

Almost two lakh people are affected in 282 villages across Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Lakhimpur, Bongaigaon, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said in its flood report.

Highest number of 1.35 lakh people have been hit by the natural calamity in Bongaigaon district alone, followed by Dhemaji where over 20,000 people have been affected, it said.

More than 12,600 hectares of crop areas are under water currently, the report said. Authorities have opened 45 relief camps in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Chirang, where more than 17,500 persons have taken shelter.

At present, Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat and Dibrugarh town, Jia Bharali at NT Road crossing in Sonitpur, Puthimari at NT Road crossing in Kamrup and Beki at Barpeta Road in Barpeta, ASDMA said.

The flood waters have damaged at least 11 roads in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhemaji districts, while four embankments were breached in Chirang and Dhemaji.

The death toll in this year's flood in Assam has remained at five -- two in Lakhimpur and one each in Bongaigaon, Baksa and Sonitpur.

PTI